


The Poker AU

by shinesurge



Category: Kidd Commander (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, fic by other people
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 23:28:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15695559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinesurge/pseuds/shinesurge
Summary: Crow's Murder gathers at Artemis' bar for cards. Written by Noah Mindful!





	The Poker AU

**Author's Note:**

> This one was written by Noah Mindful, a regular in the Discord who gets Real Excited about AU's and was generous enough to let me post his work here!

**THE POKER AU**

A certain night, 9:00 o’clock. The buzz in the Lucky Noon rose as people checked the clock and began to exit, leaving money on the table as they did. On most Friday nights, the crowd would tend to linger into the early morning, Lucky Noon being one the liveliest bars in the city. But this was not a typical night and people knew better than to involve themselves with what was coming. 

Five minutes later, the only ones remaining were Noon and their crew, standing in an empty bar. Looking around with a sigh, Noon made a vague gesture. Following the unspoken order, tables were cleared and chairs upturned as the staff quickly cleaned the area, who also wanting nothing to do with the oncoming madness. Hopping down from their stool, Noon sauntered towards the “VIP room” and took a quick peak in. Nodding with satisfaction, they sauntered back to the bar. Picking up a pristine glass, they began to idly dab at it with a cloth. Pausing to shout a goodbye to the departing cook, they continued to idly tidy, often glancing at the clock.

At around 9:30, Noon glanced up and a second later the door opened with a jingle. In walked a tall fellow, six feet and then some, lanky and looking very stylish. His blackish, well-kept hair was tied into a ponytail hanging down on his back. His face was young, with a button nose and chin, a clean face marred by several cuts and scars that stood out on his terra-cotta colored skin. He possessed a friendly demeanor, as if he had just stopped smiling but would require little prompting to start. Various gold chains and necklaces hung around his neck and glints from his ears and hands revealed even more finery. He wore an ornate eyepatch covering part of his face, leaving a single _amber-color_ eye that brightened as he spotted Noon. 

Noon scoffed as he walked towards them. “You still wearing that shit?”, they said as they pointed towards Gideon’s outfit. 

They both eyed the fancy cloak, complete with gold epaulettes and braid, combined with a bedazzled back that spelled out “Captain”. The result was a horrific clash, like combining shutter shades and crocs with a three piece suit. Yet somehow Gideon pulled it off _._

“People say they like it!”, Gideon replied with a broad grin and a hug. Noon immediately drove their hand into his ribs and he staggered back, still grinning like a loon. Noon sighed and face palmed, trying to hide a involuntary smirk. 

They dramatically mock-threw a bottle at his head, and as he danced away, yelled “Go sit your dumb ass, bird boy”.

“Love you too, Noon!”, Gideon shot back over his shoulder as he fled.

Noon sighed and looked at his departing back. It was rare of Gideon to be first to show; usually he pulled a “stylishly late” entrance, if he ever bothered to show his face at all. He has always been a flake but ever since he hit it big, it had gotten ridiculous. _Though,_ Noon thought as the door swung open again with a bang, _at least he helps deal with the drama_. 

Noon yelled at the figure, “ _STOP BREAKING SHIT!_ ”

“ _GET BETTER SHIT!_ ”, they yelled back.

Noon glared at them, with their hands on their hips, as Jocasta strode into the building. A mite shorter than Gideon, she wore a scowl on her lips that stretched her ochre skin. She had barely changed clothes from work and wore her work outfit of a white T-shirt with the sleeves cut short and a pair of equally short brown pants. Thrown over it was her casual attire; her black arm sleeves and her jacket, another gift from Noon. Twin brown eyes surrounded by red eye paint glared at the room, as she pushed her hanging hair to one side. She changed it again, Noon noted; she had shaved off half her head and dyed the rest red. _And she’s pissed again_ , Noon thought as they rolled their eyes.

“Well look who showed,” Noon said as they hopped down to survey the damage.

Jo kicked the floor and directed a glare at a very unimpressed Noon. “Somethin’ came up, alright? I still showed.”

“Heya Jo! Fun day at work?” Crow’s laughing voice came wafting in.

“ _SHUT IT BIRD BOY_ \- Look it’s fine alright? I’ll pay for it.” This was directed at Noon, who was staring at the fresh dents pointedly.

Noon hmphed back, as they walked back to the bar stool and hopped back up. They pointed a finger towards the room and Jo huffed as she walked towards the sound of the still-laughing Gideon. The laughter suddenly cut off to the tune of a large thump and a groan of pain, causing Noon to a smirk as they arranged bottles.

Seconds before the clock struck 10:00, the door creaked open and in ducked the last two stragglers. Their quiet murmuring cut off as they spotted Noon and headed over. Noon swiveled to give them a look. On the left stood a man that at first glance was a near doppelgänger for Gideon; same hair, same height and features. Of course, Gideon hadn’t shown up in a indigo mesh t-shirt, with a matching vest draped over his shoulders. Wireframe glasses framed eyes of a light blue instead of gold, alight with an intelligence gaze _._ And while Gideon seemed moments away from a laugh, this man seemed to be _a mix between mournful and thought._ Noon had known both of the brothers for years but Raven had always been a bit too dramatic for their tastes.

On his left stood another man, about a head shorter than Raven. His skin was a rich even black, in stark contrast to the blinding white of his teeth as Rook beamed at Noon. Equally white hair formed a boof on top his head _._ Noon didn’t know much about this one, except by his reputation. Dusk had become revered as a food critic, his food blog now quoted more by food media than world-renowned reviewers. During this rise, he had run into and been befriended by Gideon during the latter’s Paris show. _And he’s taller than me,_ Noon sighed _. Why is everyone taller than me?_ His habit of perpetually smiling gave Noon the creeps but at least he was quiet. _Unlike Prince Drama,_ Noon thought as she looked back at Raven. _Haven’t even started yet and he already looks pissy._

Noon sighed again and gestured in the direction of the noise _._ Raven stalked past without acknowledging and Rook responded with a grin as he followed. Noon hopped down and walked over to the door, hearing the talking die down as the two entered the room.

“I did not sign up for this bullshit”, they murmured as they slammed the bolt home, grabbed their bottle and headed for the game room.

The monthly poker meet-up had initially been Gideon’s idea. After he hit big time with his modeling, he grew concerned that the group would “drift apart” and insisted that they do something to keep in touch. The group eventually settled on poker, after Jo constant rage-quitting of Halo, Raven’s almost asphyxiation at the hookah bar and Noon’s threatened rebellion at any more poetry readings. They had met every month running for about ten years. Attendance was scattered; ironically the one who proposed the idea was the most frequent ditcher of said event. Noon became defacto host, for being the only one with “ _their shit together”_ as they put it. The others argued it was more because of the bar space and the free drinks. Regardless, the event became tradition and was generally enjoyed despite a few hiccups. Up until about six months or so ago.

For years, Jo had run her private camgirl empire. The original business had began as the result of a bottle of gin and a bet. But together with her usurper-turned-protege, “Phineas the Kidd” (real name unknown)and her had turned _Drunken Mistakes_ into one of the most profitable in the field. The business attracted a fair share of attention, and its ever changing roster boasted an array of the prettiest and eclectic performers on the market. _One such performer was the issue of contention and the cause of the current feud._

Raven had gone into the modeling business at the same time as his brother and while didn’t explode into the same popularity, over time he earned enough recognition and acumen to open up his own agency. _______, while well-known in the modeling community, nevertheless couldn’t match up to the success of his Raven’s brother. This continued “betrayal” had driven Raven to insane lengths in an effort to surpass or at least equal his brother. Naturally, this brought him into direct conflict with Jo and _Drunken Mistakes_ as they shared the same talent pool. His obsession reached a head with the recruitment of Jo’s newest star, Ulrich _insert nickname_ Weiss. 

Recruited from a failing circus, Ulrich quickly rose to prominence with his eclectic style. He shot through the ranks, becoming one of the most beloved cam stars on the web and Jo’s top earner. This unparalleled success drove Raven into fits, as Jo repeatedly flaunted this in his face with demonic glee. This baiting had gone on until Raven came up with the “brilliant” idea to send his own daughter and second-in-command, Rook, to try and convince Ulrich to join with her dad.

This gambit failed catastrophically. Three months ago, instead of seducing over the competition, Rook instead ran off with both Ulrich and a stash of cash for parts unknown. Neither Raven or Jo had any idea what happened or where they went, until about a month later when they received a wedding photo from a deserted tropical island. Naturally, this did nothing to improve the situation. 

_Which leads back to tonight_ , Noon thought, as they walked into the game room. The game room was Noon’s own creation, a place where people could compete in more unorthodox games without busting the bar. The inside resembled an antique ship’s helm, with planks making up the walls, and an oversized steering wheel it’s only table. Multiple gashes lined the walls and the entire area smelled faintly of sea salt. A couple of couches along with a few other creature comforts lined the room, broke the illusion. Sailing had always been a passion of Noon’s; they were counting the days until they could blow the bar and go cruising the seas for their retirement. In the meantime, this served as an oasis of sorts. The usual calming effect of the room was lost, however, by the two people attempting to kill each other via staring match.

Jo and Raven were six inches apart and staring daggers, while Crow stood in the corner smiling awkwardly. Dusk had started going to town on the snacks and was watching them all amusedly. Noon sighed as they walked over and slammed the bottle on the table. “Let’s see if we can live through another night, huh kiddos?”, they drawled as Crow and Dusk began to drift to the table.

Dusk let out a whistle as he looked at the bottle. “Decodenn vodka? You’re spoiling us, Noon!”

“Ain’t for your sake, Smiles,” Noon shot back. “It’s been a long day and I need the good shit to deal with y’all.” Crow laughed in response _._

Noon hooked a chair and started pouring out the violet liquid into glasses. Crow awkwardly sat down next to them and took a glass with a weak smile and a nod. He pulled out his straw and starting sucking while Noon rolled their eyes. Dusk came over with an armful of food and hooked a chair at the far end of the table. He started inhaling a jelly cake while Noon placed a glass in front of them. Noon plunked down the last two glasses and looked over at the last two. The two had shifted, with Raven pretending to study the wall and Jo further gouging the wall with her pocketknife. “If y’all are done damaging my property, can we get on with this? I’d like to get drunk sooner than later.” 

After an awkward pause, Jo turned on her deal and stomped towards the table. Grabbing a chair, she twisted it around and sat with her arms crossed over the back of the chair. She immediately downed her glass and treated the table to a glower. Raven dawdled but with a dramatic sigh, stalked over and took the remaining seat and drink. He began to sip, pinky finger extended, ignoring Jo’s snort.

“Alright. Who brought the cards? Let’s play some shitty poker.”

Noon glanced at the clock; it was just past midnight. The game was functionally over. Dusk had left after he polished off the snacks for the third time and Noon made it clear that any more would cost him dearly. Not that he couldn’t afford it; the prick had made off with most of the winnings. He was good at cheating, Noon had to admit. Even out cheated Noon in the process of cleaning out the kitchen.

The game had started out frostily. Gideon had tried in vain to get people talking , but only Noon bothered to respond. The others too busy either brooding, seething or shoveling food into their mouths. Only after half the first bottle was gone, did conversation begin, and it was still rather catty. But the energy of the room gradually picked up and things started to get entertaining. Amazingly, even Jo throwing the bottle at Raven’s head over a stray comment barely effected the game. 

Things had gone rapidly downhill two hours in, when Raven started drunkenly throwing a fit and accusing everyone of personally ruining his life. Jo, also wasted, responded by fucking laying into him, with Crow utterly failing to intercede. One thing led to another and they started drunkly making out on the table as usual for their fights.

Noon grabbed the bottle and drained it; it was the second they had brought out. The first was still embedded in the wall, Jo having put some elbow grease into the throw. Pink liquid was still dripping onto the wreckage. Cards and chips were scattered everywhere in the room, along with most of the furniture. Not the table; they had learned from last and had it bolted to the floor. Raven and Jo were passed out on the floor, surrounded by shreds of their clothes. Gideon had of course disappeared. It was his default response to conflict and it still drove Noon insane. _Gonna make him play for this,_ they thought, as they grabbed a blanket off the sofa and draped it over the two. No way were they going to try to move them, they might make up and Noon refused to get involved in their bullshit. 

Regarding the wreckage of the room, Noon decided fuck it, they’d deal with it the morning. _What’s the point of having crew if you don’t use them,_ they mused. _Besides, it’s not like they ain’t going to throw another fit when they wake up._

As Noon grabbed their coat from the wall and went to leave, it occurred to them that this had been one of the calmest get togethers the group had had in a while. _What a depressing thought._

_Next time,_ they thought with a grin as they locked up, _let’s wreck Birdboy’s flat. Not like he ain’t due for a hosting._

Noon whistled as she walked away. Hadn’t been a bad night, all in all.


End file.
